


A Brief Moment of Falling Action

by Feenie



Series: Earth's Mightiest Reviewers [2]
Category: Atop the Fourth Wall
Genre: Backstory, Exposition, Gen, brief appearance of boffo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 16:52:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,991
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14698380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Feenie/pseuds/Feenie
Summary: Linkara returns home.(Won't make sense if you haven't read A Glitch in the System)





	A Brief Moment of Falling Action

**Author's Note:**

> there is no good way to throw in a bunch of exposition and back story stuff, at least for me right now.
> 
> if you want to skip this and wait until the next actual story-advancing bit, feel free. for real.

While Linkara outright refused to return to the futon to rest, Harvey made him lie on the couch after he ran out of the room like a child on Christmas Day. Margaret tried not to laugh as Harvey glared and pointed to the couch, and Linkara reluctantly complied.

“Okay, so. As Joe blurted out, yes, I’m Aeon. Guy who helped make civilization what it is today and all that,” Nash said, Joe still standing with his hands slammed on the table and eyes wide. “You can sit down, Joe.”

“You can’t just go and drop that on us! Like, dude, no matter how stupid that LARP session was, shit still happened that affected us!” Joe pointed out. “I mean, Ma-Ti died, and that led to Critic dying for a while! And Mechakara had Malachite’s Hand!”

He paused, blinking. “...that’s still on the Caelestis, isn’t it?”

“...oh. Shit,” Nash groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Uh, Nimue? Can you send a message to Allen saying to make sure Malachite’s Hand is kept safe or something?”

He paused, then added, “Tell him it looks like that stupid Power Glove accessory from Nintendo, he should find it easily.”

“Acknowledged,” Nimue responded.

“So you aren’t going to take it?” Lupa asked, raising her eyebrows. “I thought you’d want to since, y’know, you know him and all that.”

Nash looked off to the side, shifting in his seat. “...no, I don’t want to take it. Maybe later to make sure it’s hidden again in a place where he can’t find it, but for now, no. No with a capital N.”

Linkara eyed 90’s Kid slipping away from the table, but said nothing. Given that they had effectively spared the thing that possessed them both...he couldn’t imagine he was happy at the moment. As for Margaret, she was keeping her face impassive, but he could guess she wasn’t pleased herself.

“Anyways...I’ll be honest, I’m telling the truth now because I might as well. I’m as old as balls and I figure I can trust you guys to not start blabbing about this to everyone we know,” Nash admitted.

“Where do I even start with questions? Like--okay, why us?” Lupa questioned, gesturing to herself. “A bunch of internet critics?”

Nash shrugged. “I needed something to do for a century or so. I figured running a show about the crazy shit people do would work. It was kinda coincidental that I ended up working alongside you all.”

“Why did you spare Missingno?” MarzGurl asked. “And what did you call it? Technumenia?”

Nash sucked in a breath, closing his eyes. “...Technumenia is--it’s these elder gods that are part-technology. I spared Missingno because, like its namesake, it’s harmless compared to its cousins. Plus...I dunno, seeing it question what its purpose was brought back some really painful memories,” he said.

“So...what now? What do we do with the Entity?” Linkara spoke up. “I’d really rather not keep it around here for a while, I don’t want to imagine what 90’s Kid is thinking right now...”

“Oh. Crap, he was possessed by it at some point too, wasn’t he?” Nash winced. “I’ll keep it at my place for a while until we figure something out.”

Linkara nodded. MarzGurl coughed. “Nash, how long are Linkara’s eyes going to be like that?”

“Until his magic properly recovers. As long as he doesn’t do anything stupid with his magic, he should be fine,” Nash responded.

“And I was looking forward to figuring out how to get another morpher to work--I’m joking, Nash,” Linkara quickly clarified at Nash’s annoyed glare.

“You’d better be. You clearly don’t have a life-prolonging spell on you, and I don’t know just how good your magic is and I don’t want to test it right now,” Nash said. “That’s something for when the world isn’t in danger and you’re not at risk of really drawing from your own lifeforce.”

Linkara winced, especially as Margaret nodded in agreement. ‘He does have a point.’

“Point taken,” he mumbled, in response to the two of them.

Nash nodded. “And on the subject of magic...did any of you keep Malachite’s grimoire?”

“I did,” Linkara admitted. “When you’re the only one among a bunch of reviewers who actively uses magic...”

Nash hesitated, perhaps not expecting that. Eventually, he sighed. “...for now, keep it. I doubt it’ll steer you toward the path Malachite followed, since I assume you’re a rational adult who doesn’t do shit like learn how to use magic while evil.”

Linkara simply nodded. At that moment, Linksano chose to come into the kitchen, muttering. “Stupid clown, stupid jukebox, stupid--”

He looked up. “...did I miss something? Why are you all out here and--good lord, Linkara, why are your eyes so _blue??_ ”

“...I might’ve been possessed by the Entity after it supposedly killed itself,” Linkara responded, looking away from Linksano. “And I used up a lot of magic.”

“...oh good _lord_ what the hell,” Linksano groaned. “I tried to turn a clown into a jukebox for one day, and I miss that?”

“Leave Boffo alone! I don’t need my accountant turned into a jukebox!” Linkara protested.

“...the fact that’s not the strangest thing we’ve heard all day must mean something. Also, why did you hire a clown as your accountant?” Snob asked.

“He’s good with numbers! And I needed help!” Linkara responded as Boffo followed after Linksano, none worse for the wear.

“Linkara, once you’ve recovered, I need to run scans on you to make sure the Entity is completely gone,” Linksano said, straightening up.

“Understood,” Linkara responded, shoulders slacking. “...all in all, not a good birthday. I’m sorry that today was...kind of a mess.”

“Are you okay?” MarzGurl asked. “I can’t imagine you’re doing okay at the moment yourself.”

Linkara didn’t respond right away, staring up at the ceiling. “...no. Not really.”

There was a pause, then MarzGurl walked over and sat by him. “...want to talk about it?”

“Not right now. Eventually, just...not right now,” Linkara mumbled.

“Got it. Do you need us to stay over or anything? I’m willing to--”

Linkara shook his head. “No, MarzGurl, you guys have done enough already. I don’t want to ask a lot, all things considered,” he said. “Take wrist communicators if you guys absolutely need to stay in touch, they’ll be faster than getting me by phone.”

“We’ve got the kid, don’t worry,” Harvey assured. “If anyone does manage to get in here, they’d better hope they’re immune to bullets.”

“Oh, right. You’ve got a low-level protection spell on this place, right?” Nash realized.

“Yeah. Not the best, but I’m looking into improving it once I’m alright again,” Linkara explained, sitting up. “It’s why I didn’t hold the party here...”

He paused, then groaned. “Unless that was the Entity messing with my head for god knows whatever reason.”

“I’ll help fortify it when we get the chance,” Nash assured. “Malachite taught me enough about magic to help with crap like that.”

“While we’re on the subject of magic...” Linkara looked down at his gun. “...Nash, did you...?”

“If you want to talk about that, I won’t stop you.” Nash leaned back in his chair. “I’m assuming you didn’t make that gun because otherwise you would probably not be here right now. Or it wouldn’t let you even hold it.”

‘He did hear me and talk to me,’ Margaret added, quietly.

“Let me guess, your gun is possessed too and-- _I was joking!_ ” Snob yelped when Linkara started nodding. “I was joking, for fuck’s sake, I didn’t want to be right!”

“Yes, my magic gun has a spirit inside it. This one, however, is friendly.”

He winced. “...she was killed in a ritual by a cult that worshiped the Entity.”

“...does half your life just revolve around the fact it’s some bizarre creepypasta?” Diamanda wondered.

“Starting to wonder that myself. Her name’s Margaret, we’ve been partners since I learned she was in the gun,” Linkara explained. “Harvey and the rest of my roommates know, but I didn’t tell you guys for obvious reasons.”

“So someone was...people actually worshiped that thing?” Lupa realized. “And someone was sacrificed in its name?”

Linkara nodded. “...she was 13 when she was killed. Her own parents...”

His throat closed up, remembering the Halloween he found out. That seemed to be enough for Nash to say, “Oh, sweet fucking hell. What kind of...”

“Can we see her? Or, well, is she outside the gun, or...” MarzGurl asked.

“Sort of. She can’t hang outside of it long-term, but we do visit once in a while,” Linkara responded.

Nash sighed at hearing that. “Okay, good.”

“Is there a way for us to see her? We kind of owe her thanks for saving us,” Joe pointed out.

“That, I’m not sure of. I want to properly introduce you all to her, but...hm. I’ll have to look into that...” Linkara mumbled.

“I think it’s time we all went home,” Suede declared, rubbing at his eyes. “Today has been exhausting, and I think we all need a break after...all that.”

“We’ll stay in touch if we need help,” Harvey promised as the reviewers got ready to teleport back to their places. “What’re you gonna do about the Exit Strategy?”

“I’ll take it back to Spoony,” Joe volunteered. “I’ve got my own ship to use anyways.”

One by one, the reviewers left, leaving Linkara and his roommates. Linkara limped back to his room, Margaret trailing behind him.

‘...now that we’re alone, can I just say that I wish they killed it when they had the chance?’ she asked, crossing her arms. ‘They chose to spare the thing I was killed in the name of!’

The gun started to heat up, and Linkara had to quick put it down. ‘It isn’t fair! That thing absorbed everyone, possessed you and 90’s Kid, and it’s being spared?!’ she complained.

“I don’t like it either,” Linkara said, frowning. “And quite frankly it can stay _far_ away from me.”

‘Why is it that _thing_ gets to live while I had to die? Why didn’t you tell them that hey, maybe this might backfire on us?!’ Margaret questioned.

“I don’t know, and I’m sorry,” Linkara apologized. “Though it’s better in a Pokeball than out here causing trouble, and releasing it might set us back to square one.”

Margaret huffed. ‘I _guess,_ but still! I don’t know how to express just how angry I am that it’s being allowed to live! It’s not fair, and I hate it!’

Linkara stepped back, letting her fume for a good while or so until she sighed, drooping. ‘Okay. I’m going to rest for a while. I trust you will do the right thing with that asshole.’

He simply nodded as Margaret returned to the gun.

\--

90’s Kid paced around his room, panicked. The Entity returned, it was captured in a Pokeball, they weren’t going to kill it, Linkara could’ve _died--_

Linkara could have died. That thing was using up his magic, and he didn’t have his hat on there, and...

Guilt started to twist 90’s Kid’s stomach into knots upon knots. He was warned, he was _warned,_ and yet he did nothing. All he did was stand by and watch!

How was he going to explain this to Vyce? Maybe if he just didn’t mention it at all, maybe if he lied and said it was still asleep, then maybe Vyce would lose interest. Maybe he could say it just fused with--no, that would just spur him on to try to kill Linkara again, maybe.

90’s Kid sat against the wall, gripping his arms. This was bad. This was super bad and he had no idea how Vyce was going to take this. He’d really have to lie and say it was still sleeping, but Vyce wouldn’t take that answer forever, and--

He needed to think up a plan of action, and soon.


End file.
